A Nasty Trick
by foxymiko
Summary: Naraku learns a new trick that does not pit Inuyasha against himself, but that evokes a raging battle between Inuyasha and those he loves. LEMON ALERT FOR LATER CHAPTERS. InuKag
1. The Storm

Hey, everyone! This should be really great. I have some really good ideas for the next couple of chapters. Let me know what you think with Chapter One: The Storm!

A/N: I do not own Inuyasha, but in my dreams I dominate him.

Bolded text represents events from the past. Italicized text signifies the thoughts of the characters.

**Kagura knelt in the soil beneath her. The earth here was covered in the decaying remains of demons--demons that had been shed from Naraku's body. It was dark and quiet--soundless. Kagura grimaced and extracted her fan like a switchblade, trying to deter the smell of death that permeated the air from her nose. With the other hand, she lifted a sample of soil close to her face, gently rubbing the dirt with her thumb.**

_**This flesh has been newly shed. Naraku is changing again… His smell is different somehow. It seems that he is ill—**_

**Behind her, the bones of a discarded carcass snapped under the trod of a foot. Her head snapped up.**

_**Naraku.**_

**His scent coiled around Kagura, a scent not too distinguishable from her own. But there was a difference. His scent was ridden with illness. Kagura slowly rose to her feet. **

"**Naraku… I was-"**

**She tilted her head to meet his gaze and the sight choked her words. Crimson eyes met those of amber. **

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

His feet padded the room impatiently. This wait was intolerable. His ears pricked. The sound of creaking floorboards echoed throughout the hut.

_Kagome?_

Exasperated, he turned to see Miroku escorting Sango into the hut, Shippou nestled in the folds of her robes over her chest. He nuzzled her warm flesh, still shivering slightly. No Kagome. Miroku glanced down at Shippou enviously and took Sango's hand, helping her out of the raging waters into the dry hut. Outside, gusting winds whipped the trees and a torrential downpour flooded the fields. Lightning cracked open the earth and the sounds of tormented souls escaped like thunder. Miroku and Sango's robes were wet to their waists.

"There's no sign of Kagome anywhere," Miroku said, twisting the bottom of his robes to wring out the water. "Shippou caught cold staring down the well."

Sango walked to the center of the hut where an incision in the floor housed a healthy fire. She bundled the shivering kitsune in a blanket Kagome had given her years ago, the white comforter now spotted with dirt and blood from travels. She placed him near to the fire and returned to Miroku's side.

"I can't stand this," Inuyasha murmured. In three strides, his hand was on the door, ready to depart from the hut.

"Inuyasha, you can't go out in this state," Sango counseled.

"Why the hell not? You two were out there in the rain!"

"I don't mean that state. I mean _your_ state. Your wounds from last night have still not healed. It would be a different matter entirely if you weren't human tonight."

Inuyasha slammed his fist against the door and rested his head on the splintering walls. Ebony hair hid his face from the others. It expressed concern and agitation. He examined his fists in disgust, eyes narrowed at his human nails.

Outside, the lightning flashed and cracked over the hut. Shippou whimpered in his sleep, and Kirara snuggled close to him, keeping him warm and shielding him from his fear of storms.

"I'll go out again. I agree that we can't let her find the hut unescorted, but you cannot go out, Inuyasha," Miroku said, collecting his staff. He took a step toward the door and, suddenly, inhaled sharply.

"Miroku!"

The monk gazed down at his leg. His left calf had been badly cut as he waded through the floods. The dark blood had concealed itself within the dark, wet folds of his robe.

"There's no other way, now. Sango, look after Shippou and Miroku. I have to find her."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

_**How can this be? This isn't possible!**_

**Kagura's thoughts raced wildly.**

"**Sesshoumaru… what are you-"**

**She could not formulate sentences. The flow of thought in her mind drowned her ability to speak. The demon wordlessly slid close to her. His hand reached up to her neck, and he gently traced the side with one, porcelain claw. Kagura tilted her head back and closed her eyes, breath bated and lips involuntarily parting to his touch. His hand still on her neck, he circled her, one clawed finger mirroring his path around her shaking form. His smell was different-- she knew. But her mind was so clouded that she did not consciously acknowledge it. Suddenly, he was pressed up against her from behind, his mouth hovering next to her ear. Cold breath beat inside her ear with every breath he took. Her heart… where was her heart? Racing in Naraku's palm somewhere, making him all the more aware of her sinful feelings, of her fear. She hoped she would die this way. Her heart bursting at Sesshoumaru's touch, bursting in the face of Naraku: the ultimate sign of betrayal. **

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

_Please be safe, Kagome. Please be at home, not in this storm._

Inuyasha sliced through the water with his hands, the weight of his kimono keeping him back. He took a dragging breath and dunked himself underwater. He could swim faster than run. He parted through the waves unlike any water demon. Someone was waiting for him…

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

"Mom! I'm going up to shower! I'll be down in a little bit, then I have to go back!"

"Okay, dear! Hurry! So Inuyasha doesn't worry!"

_So Inuyasha doesn't worry. I wonder what he's doing right now. It's a new moon…_

Kagome tread quietly to the bathroom so as not to wake Souta and then locked the door behind her. She looked in the mirror. An image of herself at fifteen flashed before her, and she smiled.

_Four years. I can't believe it. It's been four years since I met him._

She turned around and manipulated the water faucet to her liking. Soon, clouds of mist were rolling lazily around the bathroom. The image of the stunning nineteen year old clouded and vanished.

R&R everyone! Muchos gracias, bonitas!


	2. Behind The Curtain

Quick Review: Kagura is being fondled by Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha is judo-kicking fish out of the way to get to Kagome, and Kagome is in the NUDE. Rock on.

A/N: I do not own Inuyasha, but in my dreams I dominate him.

Bolded text represents events from the past. Italicized text signifies the thoughts of the characters.

**The clawed hand traveled up Kagura's neck like a spider, all five fingers separate legs that tickled her flesh. No one ever touched her. Every spot on her body was vulnerable flesh. The spider found her hair and released the pin that kept it wound in a bun. It slid down like a cascade of wavy ink. Then, the spider found her neck again, but it was clutching it too tightly. Her eyes flung open. **

"**Sessho-"**

**Her words were cut off. The hand was choking her. She reached up to the hand to release it, but he was much more powerful than she was. She imagined her heart in Naraku's palm now. It was shattering.**

"**Kagura… you really shouldn't be so obvious with your feelings. Vulnerabilities can get you into quite a bit of trouble, don't you think?"**

**Kagura shuddered and let out a whimper. **

**_How could I have been so foolish?  
_**

The water beat down upon Kagome and rolled off of her every curve. She breathed in the scented air deeply, savoring every bead that touched her sore muscles and every bubble that cleansed her. Her fingers massaged shampoo into her hair so black, that it beamed blue in the light.

_People forget how wonderful showers are. I can't believe Souta can be satisfied with a ten minute shower._

After minutes of the only sound in the tiny bathroom being the drum of water against Kagome's skin, she jumped at the sound of strong winds.

The window had opened.

The slap of a bare foot against the tile signaled an intruder. Kagome pressed her back against the wall of the shower, chest heaving up and down in fear. She could not make a sound, not even to call out to her mother. She looked above her where a basket of cleaning products hung from the shower head and looked back at the curtain. The shadow of a blurred figure was extracting his other leg from the window. Without removing her gaze, she reached up behind her and wrapped her pruned fingers around a pumice stick.

_I'll beat him. He's unarmed. I'll beat the bastard to death for ever setting foot in this house._

The shadow on the other end of the curtain grew larger. He was coming toward her, something twitching on top of his head. She squinted at the figure.

_What are those on his head? Wait… it couldn't be—_

"**Naraku," Kagura managed to whimper. He smiled behind her and strengthened his grip on her neck. She struggled against him.**

"**Clever girl. How did you know?" He released her neck, and she doubled over, taking in air in vast amounts. She stood up, tears glistening in her eyes, a shaking hand gently fingering her neck. He was changing forms again. Those golden spheres turned an abysmal black. Silver hair whipped in an illusionary wind to become as dark and twisted as night. Naraku returned to his human form. **

"**That's a nasty trick," she spat.**

_They're ears! Inuyasha?_

Suddenly, a clawed hand pulled back the curtain and Kagome immediately began screaming. Inuyasha stood there, completely naked, gripping the curtain. He silently slid into the tub and quickly cupped his hand over her mouth. Kagome stopped screaming and stared at him, bewildered. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, embarrassed at her own nudity and perhaps even more embarrassed at her reaction to his. His sinewy muscles stretched over every inch of his body. He was sun-kissed from traveling by foot, and his tawny eyes were intense. The water was now wetting his silver hair, making it reflect the dim lights of the bathroom.

"Kagome! Kagome, are you all right in there?" her mother called from the other side of the door. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome and mouthed, "Just a spider."

"Ye- Yes, Mom. I'm fine. It was… just a spider," Kagome replied carefully, her eyes never leaving Inuyasha's. Creaking stairs signaled her mother's satisfied retreat.

Inuyasha's eyes left the door of the bathroom and met her own. He was searching her, and it made Kagome uncomfortable. She felt he was searching her for weakness. Inuyasha pressed himself against her and pinned her between himself and a wall.

"Inuyasha-"

Inuyasha silently pressed a finger to her lips and smirked.

"Inuyasha…?" she whispered. The heat of his body was overwhelming her. She was completely enveloped in his flesh, the hot water pounding on both of their bodies. She began to breathe more heavily, thinking she couldn't stand any longer. Inuyasha coiled his hands around her waist and tipped his head down to her neck. Eyes wide, Kagome kept her hands to her side, trapped, dropping the pumice stick. He flicked his tongue against the tender flesh of her neck and, despite all the heat, she shivered uncontrollably. His hands snaked to her sides and felt the indents of all her ribs with his claws. He was ever so gently rubbing up and down against her skin, their bodies slick with sweat and water. Kagome wanted to lose herself in this sensation, this touch that she craved. But something wasn't entirely right--

"**This is my _favorite _new trick. I came across a demon that was transforming itself to replicate the image of a villager in order to forage for food. Ever since I had slain his body and absorbed his power, I seem to have adopted this 'nasty trick,'" Naraku mused. "This is how we are going to get the girl." **

**Kagura closed her eyes and laughed quietly. **

"**What?" Naraku snapped. His anger was fuel to Kagura's glee. **

"**There are a few major flaws in your plan," she said.**

_Something isn't right here… He seems…_

This thought was cut short. Inuyasha had moved to her jawline, placing small kisses along the delicate bone. Kagome's head tilted back, and she tentatively moved her hands to his hips. This caused him to pull closer and reach one hand behind her, groping at her back.

_He smells differently! And his breath is cold and harsh… is he sick?_

Inuyasha began to play with the tendrils of her hair. His lips were moving up to the corners of her mouth.

_He hasn't said one word to me. Something is wrong. _

"**Explain yourself," Naraku demanded. Kagura looked him in the eye and laughed defiantly. His nose curled in disgust, and he charged toward her, grasping her neck. "Explain yourself."**

**Kagura choked out her words.**

"**You underestimate the powers of this girl. Remember whose soul she harbors, Naraku," Kagura said. Naraku recoiled at the implication of Kikyou's name, allowing Kagura more room to speak.**

"**Your voice does not mimic those of the ones you imitate. Your breath is still cold, and you still reek of illness," Kagura said quietly. Naraku tilted his chin upwards, passively defying this statement. Kagura smiled.  
"Feel free to try. But beware the powers of this miko."**

"Inuyasha, this isn't right. Please-"

Inuyasha silenced her protests with his lips, firmly pressing his mouth against hers. She recalled the last time he had kissed her, after she had arrested his demon development. It felt nothing like this. There was anger in this kiss.

"Inuyasha, STOP!" She shoved the hanyou off of herself and stumbled out of the tub. Inuyasha did not frown disappointedly or show signs of hurt. His lips curled at the corners, a demonic smile playing on his lips. Kagome backed away helplessly. She looked out the open window toward the moon, and realized that it wasn't there.

"The new moon…" Kagome whispered. She looked back at the hanyou that was fast approaching her. His ears twitched upon his silver head.

"YOU'RE NOT INUYASHA!"


	3. Bathing Maiden

Quick Review: Kagura is aware of Naraku's secret and Inuyasha isn't really Inuyasha. Bueno!

A/N: I do not own Inuyasha, but in my dreams I dominate him.

Bolded text represents events from the past. Italicized text signifies the thoughts of the characters.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" He said, laughing. "I thought you wanted this. I felt your body react to mine."

Kagome whimpered and quickly grabbed a towel to cover herself, making Him laugh even harder. She pressed herself against the counter, completely trapped, and opened her mouth to scream for her mother. Just as soon as her lips parted, a thorny, black tentacle emerged from his back and wrapped itself around her mouth, thinly slicing every piece of flesh around which it coiled. Her eyes watered and thin streams of blood dripped down from the tentacles.

_Who are you? Where's Inuyasha?_

Inuyasha made it to the well and looked around. He was soaked to the bone, shivering and damning the night. The horizon was blurred, and the storm raged on.

"KAGOME! KAGOMEEEE!" he screamed. His voice was drowned in the sound of oppressive rains. He peered into the well.

_I have to go get her. I'll take her back myself._

Inuyasha hopped over the side and, through the mist, transcended time.

A gust that Kagome couldn't feel was whipping His hair. Silver strands became wavy and black. The man closed his eyes and smiled. His body was changing. He was no longer flushed pink with health. He became wiry and thin before her, pale and sick. Upon opening his wretched eyes, Kagome recognized the intruder.

_NARAKU!_

"You're going to come with me…" Naraku said, drawing near to her. His sick, cold flesh pressed up against hers, and she squirmed in disgust. Those hands… those hands that had controlled the lives of so many like those of a puppeteer… those hands that had willed damned souls to live and innocent souls to die… those hands were now coiled around her arms. She despised him more with every moment he was in contact with her. Her body was reeling with hatred, a hatred that seared her flesh. Suddenly, Naraku yelled out in pain and examined his palms. They were blistered and red. Kagome's flesh was burning his human hands. He searched Kagome's smiling eyes that mocked his inability to touch her. Naraku narrowed his eyes and spat in her face as Kagome fought harder against the demon limbs that were holding her. They had now covered every inch of her body, rendering her completely immobile.

"Where's your hero, now?" Naraku hissed at her, his mouth just centimeters from her ear. Kagome shuddered and thought of Inuyasha.

_Inuyasha… where are you?_

Inuyasha hopped over the side of the well, drenched in rain and nightfall. He was still mortal. He flung open the temple doors and all his muscles tensed, willing himself to run through the downpour again. But in modern Japan, it was not raining. The night was quiet, and stars were scattered in the sky like diamonds. Gentle zephyrs carried the smell of cherry blossom trees to his nose, tickling his human senses. The scent of blooming flowers triggered images of Kagome in his mind. Inuyasha blushed without being entirely certain why. Whenever he was human, his thoughts of Kagome multiplied tenfold, and when she touched him it caused ripples through his skin. She would pass him, and he would catch a whiff of her perfume. It made his heart race. It smelled like cherry blossoms.

"Inuyasha! What are you doing back so soon?" Mrs. Higurashi called. Inuyasha's eyes snapped up to meet hers. She was smiling warmly at him. "Can I make you some ramen?"

"Is Kagome here? Did she travel back already?" Inuyasha interrupted. Mrs. Higurashi smiled.

"She's still here. She's in the shower."

Inuyasha flung himself down on the ground, relieved.

_She's safe._

"Inuyasha, you can go wait for her in her room, if you would like. Souta is sleeping, though, so do try to be quiet. The sun should come up any minute now," she reassured. Inuyasha stood up, quietly thanked her and climbed the stairs to her room. When he opened the door, her scent overwhelmed him, and he went to sit down on her bed. Everything in her room was so sacred—it was so tainted with everything that was Kagome. He didn't want to disturb the position of her blankets. They formed a tiny cavernous space where her body had lain the night before. He bent forward and scooped up a bundle of the blankets in his hands and closed his eyes.

"**I'm going to go bathe! I'll be back in a little bit, so don't come looking for me!"**

"**Keh! Like I would come looking for you! I have better things to do, you know!"**

**Kagome had wandered off before Inuyasha could finish his sentence. He grunted irritatedly and stalked off into the forest in the other direction. Inuyasha immersed himself in thought, finally able to attain silence. Soon, the sound of a muse reverberated off the trees, very faint, like a bird whispering to the leaves. It was haunting and beautiful, looping through Inuyasha's ears like silken ribbon. His ears pricked, and he tried to follow the song. The maiden's voice was becoming clearer, and oddly it seemed familiar to him. She trilled her voice, and his heart lurched forward in his chest, like a chord had strung itself around him and was pulling him to her. He gently pushed shrubbery to the side so he could step into a small clearing where he saw a glistening lake, steam rising from the surface. It was the strangest and yet most entrancing thing he had ever seen. In the center of the lake stood the maiden, completely enshrouded in mist and still singing. Inuyasha deftly leapt into the foliage of a tree in order to conceal himself, feeling somewhat guilty for gazing upon this beauty, completely unclothed and peacefully bathing.**

**Peacefully bathing—**

_**Kagome!**_

**The woman stepped forth from the mist. It was indeed Kagome, and she was singing with her eyes closed and gesturing emphatically with her slender hands. Inuyasha gaped at her naked form. The lake water was rolling off of her body in such a gentle way. In Inuyasha's mind, he had always seen Kagome as somewhat of a child, temperamental and demanding. Nothing was childish about the way she looked in the lake. Her hair was long and healthy, swaying heavily with every graceful turn of her torso. Water streamed from her hair down her long, elegant neck and then sloped over her breasts. Her waist tapered in, smooth and glistening from the lake. He shifted his feet to look at her more intently and accidentally snapped a branch off the tree he was clinging to. Kagome gasped and ducked into the water so that only her head broke the surface. Her eyes snapped up to meet his and lingered there. Inuyasha ducked behind the tree, blushing furiously.**

**There was a long silence in the wooded gap. Suddenly, Kagome began to sing again, but more softly. Inuyasha was puzzled and relieved. He was not going to be violently demanded off of his branch with a "sit." Her voice reached him in the crook of the tree.**

"**I was sitting, waiting, wishing you believed in superstition. Then maybe you'd see all the signs," she began. Inuyasha listened carefully to her words. He felt as if she was trying to tell him something. "The Lord knows that this world is cruel, but I'm not the Lord; no I'm just a fool who's learning that loving somebody doesn't make them love you."**

**Inuyasha's heart clenched in his chest. His hand reached up to where the harsh beating was trying to part from his chest and ascend to his throat. In a scattered thought, he hoped that covering it with his hand would silence the noise: a noise that drummed so loudly, he feared Kagome would hear it. **

"**Must I always be waiting, waiting on you? Must I always be playing, playing your fool? Maybe you've been through this before, but it's my first time so please ignore the next few lines because they're directed at you. I can't always be waiting, waiting on you. I can't always be playing, playing your fool. Well, if I was in your position, I'd put down my ammunition and I'd wonder why'd it take me so long. But the Lord knows that I'm not you, and if I was, I wouldn't be so cruel because waiting on love isn't so easy to do. I can't always be waiting, waiting on you. I can't always be playing, playing your fool."**

**Inuyasha slumped against the gnarly trunk of the tree. Of course, she was referencing his relationship with Kikyo. He could only imagine what it felt like for her. H experienced it every time Koga took her hands in his own. He would stare at her hands at night when she was sleeping and convince himself that they fit more comfortably in his own. He convinced himself that Koga was not as strong, and he convinced himself—somewhat—that Kagome loved him more. He could not convince himself, however, that Koga had less to offer her. Inuyasha could sense it in him. He could feel the heat radiate off of Koga more profoundly when he neared Kagome. It was his heart pumping blood faster to his every limb. It was Koga screaming out to Kagome in the quietest way possible that he was offering her his whole heart.**

**Inuyasha's heart was no bigger than his. Any division made him less adequate, and it tore him apart. Kagome did not deserve part of a man's heart. But all he could offer was half and pray that half was all she needed. **

**Kagome spoke again. Inuyasha cocked his head so that he could see her peripherally.**

"**But, I will always wait for you, Inuyasha," Kagome said plainly, no longer singing. "I can't help it. Even if every ounce of sense in me screams that you will never love me more than her…" **

**She paused.**

"**Even if you never truly loved me at all…"**

**Inuyasha snapped his eyes shut and turned sharply. Her words were daggers not intended to hurt him, but painful and sharp nonetheless.**

"… **That can't change my feelings about you." **

**She silently rose from the water and padded to the other side of the lake where she retrieved her clothes. Inuyasha didn't know what to say to her. He pictured her waiting there, hand over her chest, praying for some sort of reciprocation. He could not think of words to say that would adequately portray the way he felt about her. Maybe the vision of her would inspire words.**

**He jumped down from the tree to find that she had already gone, leaving only the words in his head and ripples in the water in her wake.**


	4. Koga

Thanks to Simli and Animefreak-superfreak for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it. Let us move onward, shall we?

A/N: I do not own Inuyasha, but in my dreams I dominate him.

Bolded text represents events from the past. Italicized text signifies the thoughts of the characters.

A new smell punctuated the air. It was Kagome's, but it was different. He had smelled it before.

Inuyasha got up from the bed. He could hear the shower from her room. His senses were sharpening.

Just then, the top of the sun broke the surface of the horizon, bleeding orange and red onto the black palette.

This new smell became harsh and salty. Inuyasha's nose twitched, and he suddenly sprinted toward the bathroom, his instinct recognizing the scent before he could process it.

_Kagome is bleeding…_

As Inuyasha sprinted, he flexed his fingers, and his human nails extended like razors into claws. His inky hair became silvery-white and enshrouded an acute pair of ears. The change in his eyes reflected his passage into his demon form. Like the sunlight that split his debilitating nights in two, amber pools speared sparkling brown eyes. He pounded on the door.

"Kagome! Kagome, what's wrong? Open up!"

Naraku stopped smirking and loosened his grip on Kagome.

"That fool…" he muttered. Kagome took her chance.

"INUYASHA!" she screamed, cutting her mouth even more deeply upon the thorny demon limb that limply surrounded her face.

"KAGOME! I'm coming in!"

Inuyasha thrusted his shoulder into the door, but to no avail. Kagome had locked it when she entered the bathroom. Kagome's mother came bounding up the stairs, two by two.

"What's going on here? What's wrong?"

"Kagome is bleeding! She's in trouble!" Inuyasha said, thrusting himself against the door again.

"Mom? What's goin' on?"

A very sleepy Souta wandered out of his bedroom, still clutching a teddy bear in his right hand. He yawned and looked up at Inuyasha and immediately hid the bear behind his back.

"Get him out of here, Mrs. Higurashi!" Inuyasha demanded. "This is getting ridiculous!"

He reached to his side and gently tugged on the handle of his Tetsusaiga, the body of the sword sliding out deftly as if willing itself to fight. With one powerful arc above his head, the door was blown to pieces.

Kagome stood near the window for less than a second. She was covered from her eyes down in black tentacles that reeked of Naraku and were drizzled with her own blood. Her eyes were bulging as if she were screaming out to Inuyasha, but no sound was emitting. The thing that was gripping her had already parted through the window, and, in this second, Kagome was still in the bathroom, hair dripping and silently screaming out to her only love, her only hero. And just that moment, in that exact second of time, morning light poured through her window and seemed to lift her off the bathroom tile, through the window of light and then straight down to reconnect with being to which she was attached.

"KAGOME!"

Inuyasha was too slow to grab her: too slow to keep her mother from fainting and too slow to keep her small brother from screaming. Without explanation or question he dove from the window to the ground below and landed kneeling in the grass. Her scent and Naraku's scent had dissipated. His body was reeling. A searing hatred pulsed through his veins, pumping malice throughout his being. He sprinted to the well, unaware of his own furious screaming…

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Inuyasha tore off back to the hut, his toes barely skimming the deep, murky pools beneath him.

_I can't find her alone… I need Sango and Miroku…_

Inuyasha's ears twitched and pivoted in the direction of the hut. Three voices bickered inside, all indistinguishable save Sango's, whose voice was a little more high-pitched.

"You shouldn't be here! He's going to kill you when he gets back!"

Another voice.

"He just spent the whole night looking for her… he won't be happy to come back and see you here."

Another.

"I have just as much a right to see her and he does. I can't believe he lost her, the dumb fuck… I should be the one ripping assholes."

_Koga._

"KOGA, YOU BASTARD, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!" Inuyasha howled, slamming down the door to the hut. It fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, showering an incapacitated Miroku in wood and straw.

"Hey, watch it!"

He ignored Miroku and marched up to Sango, shoving Koga out of the way and into a wall.

"Watch it, dog-shit, where's Kagome?" Koga said, bouncing resiliently off the wall.

"Sango, we need to leave, now," Inuyasha said quietly and urgently, unwilling to hear Koga' reaction when he discovered Kagome's whereabouts.

"You LOST her? YOU ARE FUCKING UNBELIEVABLE, YOU KNOW THAT? WE HAVE TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW!"

"THIS DOES NOT CONCERN YOU!" Inuyasha growled. "Sango, let's go!"

"I can't leave Miroku and Shippou! They've been deathly ill since the storm last night. Koga can help you!" Sango said, gesturing to the handsome wolf-demon.

"THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL!" Inuyasha screamed.

"Inuyasha, when are you going to grow up?" Miroku muttered. Inuyasha froze and looked at him.

"Miroku," Sango said, padding over to him and helping him sit up. Miroku propped himself up on one hand and looked at Inuyasha from under a dirty mop of hair. He was obviously straining.

"Koga can help you. He cares about Kagome just as much as you do. He will work just as hard to save her."

Inuyasha looked to Koga. He was standing near what used to be the door, arms crossed over his chest, glowering at Inuyasha with unfathomable hatred. But, at the same time, Inuyasha could hear his heart drumming against his chest. His heart was racing for Kagome, for her safety, yearning to find her.

"Inuyasha… for Kagome," Sango said. He closed his eyes, lifted his chin and tightened his fists.

"Come on, we can't lose time."

With that, Inuyasha and Koga fled through the gaping hole in the hut in a race against time and each other for the girl they both loved.

REVIEW, CHILDREN!


	5. The Assassins

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha… sigh

The forest air was thick with fog and the smell of damp earth. All life was relatively still, stuck to branches and ferns with the gummy humidity. The only sound resonated from two young males: one demon and one half-demon…

"I can smell them- She's this way."

"I know that!"

"Then keep up!"

Two assassins moved stealthily through the fauna, feet moving at inexplicable rates as if flames licked at their heels. They were blood-thirsty… they were seeking revenge.

"This demonic aura is intense. It's as if-"

"He wants us to find him."

The assassins quickened their pace.

One assassin was clothed entirely in red, a crimson blur, using the canopy to propel himself. He glistened with a fine layer of sweat, not effected by exertion, but an insatiable fury. The second assassin moved slightly faster than the other. His legs churned with an awesome precision, lacerating bodies of water beneath him. With speed, a vortex of wind enveloped his body, rendering his immense power all the more staggering. Both were outstandingly attractive: true specimens, comparable to archangels. He who dressed in red was sinewy and long, graceful but fearsome. His eyes were golden pools brimming with passion and light. This assassin had strong hands, but they were smooth and careful. His demonic hair was a sight to behold, flashing the colors of diamond skies. The full-demon was no less admirable. He was the epitome of strength, relying solely on the capabilities of his formidable arms and legs to crush his opposition. His eyes were crisp and blue like portals to the ocean, reflecting a world within reach of only his lover's hands. His hair was long and brilliant, dark like the soot beneath their heels.

Archangels, absolutely.

The sky blackened. Ebony clouds birthed a slew of demons, approaching the assassins with grand alacrity. Silently, the two males bounded in opposite directions, herding the demons in two, separate groups.

The crimson assassin withdrew a sword from his side, the blade sighing against its metal sheath. It arced about the young half-demon's head, and in the blade reflected his unforgiving, passionate eyes.

One blow.

One blow and the multitude of demons disintegrated in the air, completely consumed by white light.

The young full-demon approached his victims. He attacked with animalistic tactics, thrashing at one group and using his crushing legs to slay the others. What remained of the demons after the assassin had brutalized them fell to the forest floor, usually just bloody clumps of flesh.

The sky cleared.

"Those demons weren't powerful at all."

"He's buying time. He's setting up a trap."

"Yeah, no shit."

The assassins worked side by side, for the same purpose, but they were far from allies. A bitter rivalry brewed between them, an immense fire that fed upon their affections for the same woman: the woman whose life was currently at stake. Had it not been for the deeper hatred they shared for the man who took her, they would have been unceremoniously bathing in each others' blood at this very moment.

"This must be it. This is where he took her."

The assassins took off toward an obscure cave, both picking up on the wispy scent of cherry blossoms…

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Alright, I know this is short (really short), but it was necessary. I have another chapter that is much longer written, and it will be up within the next day. The fluffy is coming, don't you worry…


	6. Crucifixion

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha… sigh

Koga picked up a small pebble and rubbed the surface with his thumb, quietly contemplating the entrance to the cave. He arrived at the mouth ten seconds before Inuyasha, which gave him enough time to sense its barrier.

"Hey," Koga said when Inuyasha caught up. "Look."

He tossed the stone at the imperceptible wall, and it ricocheted off into a wall layered with shadow. Inuyasha smirked.

"Just step back."

Crimson vapors engrossed the blade of the Tetsusaiga. The blade pulsed and devoured the barrier in its entirety, allowing Inuyasha and Koga full access to Naraku's cave. They sprinted forward, perilously close to their target.

"We can't just run in there without a plan," Koga shouted toward Inuyasha.

"Here's the plan: get Kagome," he spat. Koga frowned.

"I'm serious. Someone needs to distract Naraku," Koga said. He looked forward and stopped abruptly. The narrow vein of the cave had suddenly dilated into a vast expanse of craggy rock. The entire chamber was illuminated by blue flames that hung mysteriously from the ceiling, barely licking the top of the cave. Every so often, a pool of flames would fall from its place and alight whatever lied below. Koga's eyes widened.

"What is this place?" he wondered aloud. Inuyasha's eyes traveled the perimeter and fell upon a pointed balcony on the far side of the chamber. It was swathed completely in shadow, but failed to conceal the outline of two dark figures. They neared the edge of the balcony, thereby exposing their identities. Naraku was holding Kagome's limp body away from his own cautiously with only his thorny tentacles. They covered every inch of her body except her head. Any contact with her flesh caused his to hiss and sear, but the demon limbs were not his own, and thus he had absolute control of her fate.

"Is this what you came looking for?" Naraku drawled. Inuyasha and Koga bristled. "It never fails to perplex me how two demons-"

He paused.

"Excuse me. A demon and a half-demon-"

Inuyasha stepped forward and growled menacingly.

"Could come here willingly sacrificing their lives for a pathetic piece of flesh," Naraku finished, looking at Kagome with disgust. His face still pointing toward Kagome, he swiveled his eyes to peer at Inuyasha and Koga. Their bodies were tense and anticipatory, lusting for his blood and lusting for the girl. He smirked.

"Well, Inuyasha? What is it about her? Is it that she is very powerful?" he teased, drawing closer to the edge of the balcony, Kagome's head wobbling roughly with his every step. "No, that can't be it. Look at her," he continued, slowly draping her body over the edge. She was now dangling high in the air, shadows dancing across her unconscious form with the flickering lights. Inuyasha and Koga leapt forward, but were stopped by a downpour of the blue flames that fell swiftly directly in front of them. They recoiled.

"Careful, Inuyasha. You see, these flames fall on my command. Nice trick, don't you think?" he mused, narrowing his eyes.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up and fight!" Inuyasha snarled. Naraku smiled.

"Not yet. First, I want to find out what it is about this girl… maybe you can answer me, Koga," Naraku said, turning toward the young wolf demon. His smirk was malicious. "Is it that she is very attractive?"

Koga blushed furiously and shot a glance toward Inuyasha who was glaring back lethally. Koga swallowed hard and did not respond. Naraku was slowing unwrapping Kagome's body like broken candy about to spill out of its package. Every layer of skin revealed was bare and scored with gashes. Completely unraveled, except for the limbs wrapped around her wrists, the assassins saw that she was completely exposed and dripping with blood. Inuyasha and Koga, both feeling the heat in their faces, looked down immediately. Naraku laughed viciously.

"What's wrong, Koga? Don't you think she's attractive?" he beamed. Koga was now visibly snarling. He rolled his fists at his sides and sprung forth from the mouth of the cave toward Kagome's dangling body. Naraku's eyes flitted up at the ceiling and then down toward Koga. The flames poured down like rain. Koga attempted to dodge them, but was too slow for one stream, which pooled on his right shoulder. Koga howled and dropped to his knees.

"You idiot, you're gonna' get yourself killed!" Inuyasha shouted across the cavern.

"You _are _pathetic, Koga," Naraku said venomously. He grinned at the wolf demon below him, gripping his bloody shoulder. "So, Inuyasha. Are you going to answer me? Or shall I be forced to kill the girl right here and now?"

Inuyasha grimaced.

"What do you want to know?"

"You really are very dim, aren't you?" Naraku said. He closed his eyes and smiled humorously. "Oh, I understand, now. You're not answering me because you don't want to admit the sad truth. Am I right?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Naraku," Inuyasha said.

"The reason you fight so tirelessly for this girl is because she can see the jewel shards. She is of no real value to you but your quest."

Inuyasha looked up at Kagome, but her crucifixion only swirled the pain in his head. Then, he closed his eyes and began to- ever so softly- laugh.

Naraku shot him a questioning look. Inuyasha began to laugh harder. Naraku's smile was replaced with a disgusted frown.  
"What is so funny, Inuyasha? You think that Kagome's dying body is amusing?" he snapped. Inuyasha gazed up at him, smiling and snarling.

"YOU ARE THE PATHETIC ONE, NARAKU! YOU CAN'T EVEN BRING YOURSELF DOWN HERE AND FIGHT LIKE A REAL DEMON! No! You're afraid!" Inuyasha began. Once more, Inuyasha let his gaze fall upon Kagome's broken body, and the words started to pour out of his mouth. She was inspiring a proverbial shower, allowing the vengeance to seep into his mouth and trickle off his tongue. He began to walk toward the balcony, slowly unwrapping the top of his haori.

"Bad idea," Naraku whispered. Flames descended through the stifling air and rolled off his shoulders and forearm. Inuyasha winced, but kept steady pace.

"You are disgusting. You're so weak that you have to use humans as bait! Kagome is more than just a seer of the shards. She's a faithful companion, which is more than you'll ever have!"

Koga stood up from the ground as Inuyasha passed. Inuyasha threw him the red cloth.

"You know what to do with that," Inuyasha whispered. Koga looked up at Kagome and then the cloth. He nodded. Inuyasha's burns resembled an exotic pattern all across his exposed flesh, weaving in and out of his clothes and up across his chest and neck. His eyes leveled with Naraku's and wrapped his fingers around the handle of his sword. With unfathomable ferocity, he whispered to his opponent…"_Die_."

The assassins darted toward the balcony.

Expect massive fluffy within the next three chapters at the most! Read and REVIEW.


	7. Unwanted Hero

Aw yeah yeah yeah! Thanks for all the reviews! Let's get these three out of the cave and into a fluff ball, shall we?

Again, italicized bits are the thoughts of the characters.

Disclaimer: These disclaimers are stupid. Of course I don't own Inuyasha, this is a fanfiction site.

Smoldering rain dripped from every crevice of the cave. Mist became drizzle, drizzle became showers, showers became a torrent of blue flames that thrashed against the assassins. Koga kept the red cloth above his head as he churned toward Kagome. Inuyasha kept close behind, Tetsusaiga drawn and slicing through the wind. He was badly injured, the burns crawling up his neck and now drizzled across his face.

"Fools! The closer you come to Kagome, the faster my flames will envelop her body! Sounds like a familiar fate, doesn't it, Inuyasha?"

A delicate image of Kikyo's body being engulfed in fire danced behind Inuyasha's eyelids. He clenched his jaw and moved with greater rapidity. Soon, he was at speed with Koga.

"Oh, it seems I've triggered something," Naraku said, delighted.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Inuyasha bellowed.

Koga was nearing Kagome's body. Inuyasha slowed down just enough so that Koga could break ahead, and his eyes focused on the limbs that were still binding Kagome's wrists. He wielded his sword across his chest and sliced diagonally. A brilliant emission shot forth and hurtled toward the spiked tentacle.

"KOGAAA!" Inuyasha screamed. Before the wave even sunk into Naraku's flesh, Koga had propelled himself off the ground and up toward Kagome.

Simultaneous withdrawal.

The limbs were reduced to bloody stumps and relinquished the girl. Naraku coiled them back up into his body. Koga caught Kagome halfway down her descent and wrapped her in the haori. Without hesitation, the wolf demon raced away from the balcony.

"You will not go so easily!" Naraku rumbled. A low hum emanated from the cave walls. Weathered pieces of rock flung themselves from the walls and ceiling, narrowly missing the assassins' bodies. The cave was closing in.

"INUYASHA, MOVE!"

The listless hanyou began to run for the entrance to the cave, but was weaving in and out of consciousness. The burns had taken their toll on his body; his last battle cry had sealed his fate. Black fog wheeled in from both sides of the cave. He could hear Koga's voice, somewhere… distant… how had he gotten so far ahead…?

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

"Inuyasha, stop struggling, I'm trying to help you! Sango, hold on to that leg, he keeps kicking me in the chest. GET. IT. TOGETHER!"

Inuyasha groaned and tenderly rubbed the side of his face that Miroku just pounded with his fist. His eyes opened slightly, slivers of light poured in, and blurry images of Miroku's and Sango's hovering faces swam into view.

"Where am I…? Where's… KAGOME!" Inuyasha's upper-half sprung forward in search of Kagome. The pain immediately seeped into his skin, and he cried aloud.

"DAMMIT!"

Inuyasha was completely covered in bandages. They coiled like snakes across his arms, chest and neck. His fingers found the marks on his face, now covered in a sticky, foul-smelling salve.

"Don't touch that, it took me two hours to make," a voice called from behind a curtain. Kaede stepped out, grinding herbs in a small, metal bowl with a wooden stub. Her face was lined with concern. To his left, Sango and Miroku sat tentatively holding bandages and damp cloths.

"Where's Kagome?" he demanded huskily. The room remained silent. Kaede padded over to the curtain and pulled it back with a gnarled hand.

Kagome was lying flat on the floor, eyes closed, wrapped in one of Kaede's kimonos. Bandages poked out from underneath her clothes, insinuating that her entire body was mummified. Koga hovered right above her. He sat cross-legged next to her head and stroked her hair tenderly. He, too, had one bandage that stretched across his chest and over his one, injured shoulder like a broken wing. Inuyasha gritted his teeth.

"Koga carried both you and Kagome back to Kaede's hut last night. You are badly inujured," Miroku said quickly, trying to diffuse the anger.

"Yeah, I can see that!" Inuyasha spat. Miroku continued, unfazed.

"Had it not been for Koga, both you and Kagome would be dead," he finished. Inuyasha looked back at Kagome, trying to ignore Koga's presence.

"How badly is she injured?" he asked quietly. Kaede knelt down next to Kagome and dipped a long cloth into her herbal remedy.

"She is badly cut. Thankfully, she has no trace of any burns, but she has yet to regain consciousness. That is what this is for," Kaede said, gesturing to the cloth. She shook out the excess liquid and twisted it into a long rope.

"Koga, would ye lift her head?"

Koga scooped his hands under her head and gingerly lifted it off the ground. Kaede took the soft rope and wrapped it around Kagome's head and over her eyes. She tucked the tails back underneath her dusty hair. Inuyasha tried to lift himself to stand next to her, but was forced back by four hands.

"Ye must stay where ye are. I'm not done bandaging ye yet," Kaede said without turning to face him.

"I've got bandages all over me already! Let me go see her!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Inuyasha, stay here. Kaede and Koga have this completely under control," Sango said soothingly. Inuyasha frowned.

_Koga has this under control… that's what I'm afraid of…_

"Now we must try and bring her back," Kaede said. "Kagome… Kagome, can ye hear me, child?"

"Kagome… Kagome, please wake up," Koga said. His hand reached her cheek and brushed it softly. Kagome's mouth parted.

"This is good, she is coming to!" Kaede said.

"Kagome! Kagome! Can you hear us?" Koga said desperately. Kagome's mouth was now moving. She was breathing inaudible words. Suddenly, her hand shot out and latched onto Koga's. She clenched it tightly within her own, and began to thrash around on her mat.

"Kaede!" Inuyasha screamed.

"This is normal! This is normal! She still thinks she's with Naraku! Kagome! Kagome, wake up!" Kaede urged. Kagome's thrashing became more violent, and now her voice was carrying. It became clear that she was whimpering. Just then, Shippo and Kilala stepped into the hut, herbs bundled in small sacks.

"Kaede, we got the- what's wrong with Kagome!" Shippo shrieked. He dropped his sack and dove for her, but Miroku gribbed him by the tail.

"Stay back, Shippo! She doesn't know who we are, she could hurt you!"

"Kaede, she's going to open all her wounds!" Sango warned.

Without hesitation, Koga lifted up and straddled Kagome between his legs, still holding tightly to her hand. Her motion suddenly limited, she stopped thrashing and began to call out louder. Inuyasha struggled vehemently against Sango and Miroku.

"KOGA, GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER!"

Kagome shrieked.

"NOOO!"

"Kagome, listen to me! You are in Kaede's hut! You are safe now, YOU'RE SAFE NOW!"

And with that, Koga closed his eyes, bowed his head and shrouded Kagome's trembling lips with his own.

And now… we get fluffy. ENJOY! REVIEW!


	8. Heat

Children… did you really think that I would deceive you with an Inu/Kag label and then make Kagome fall in love with Koga? Calm down and read.

READERS BEWARE. The following passage involves the slightest bit of lemony goodness.

Italicized text signifies the thoughts of the characters, and, in some cases such as this, their dreams…

This time here… this time that had deceptively disguised itself as a few moments… was in actuality the bulk of eternity. The hut, the forest, the world, the universe became black and white bystanders of no significance. The only color in Inuyasha's world splashed over the two beings in front of him, locked together in awkward embrace. How easily a few seconds became enough time for rivers to run dry and mountains to crumble… enough time for Inuyasha to notice every gory detail about the scene.

Koga's lips were too thin for Kagome's. They provided no shelter to those full, rosy petals that Inuyasha knew he could comfort. Inuyasha imagined it always, how perfectly her lips found the part between his own and molded there to become the most resounding symbol of his affections. Koga was too far away from her. Had it been Inuyasha above her, he would have pressed himself close enough to her flesh so that he could feel her heart pulsing with anticipation. He wanted to know when it forgot to beat, so that he could take that chance to kiss her more deeply. Koga was so foolish.

His scent… his scent did not compliment her own. He reeked of sweat and uncertainty. Inuyasha would take Kagome's lips surely and absolutely, even if her heart was fumbling to grasp the affair. Damn his wicked hands. They clutched to her wrists like an idiotic boy who had no sense of what else to do. Inuyasha's hands would have feathered up to her palms and laced between her fingers. He would be sure, and it would be love unrivaled.

But even eternity must pass. With time, Koga lifted his head and opened his eyes, staring meekly at the woman below him. He slowly surrendered her wrists and dismounted her shaking body. She did not move.

"She has been subdued," Kaede whispered. Her voice was unnatural now, perturbing a silence that should have been kept. She would not speak again.

Kagome lips parted once more. Her hand, like an injured bird trying to take flight, crept up to Koga's face, trembling and twitching. She found his jaw line and gently caressed it with her shaking fingers. As her hand moved down his jaw, Koga's body seemed to follow and leaned more closely to the girl. She drew in breath. Inuyasha did not.

"Th-th…"

"She's trying to speak," Shippo whispered. Miroku covered his Shippo's mouth with his hand, eyes never leaving Kagome and Koga.

She drew a longer breath.

"Thank you… Inuyasha."

In Kagome's mind, the kiss that brought her back from the depths of her nightmares belonged to Inuyasha. In Kagome's mind, only one assassin existed, and it was for him that she smiled before she slumped into dreams.

"She fell asleep!" Sango murmured.

Koga slowly stood to his feet. All eyes were on him now, as he sullenly walked to the other side of the hut and vanished through the door. The four hands peeled off of Inuyasha, and for a moment he remained motionless. The range of his emotions was vast and tumultuous. He was incredulous at Koga's actions, saddened by his own inability to be with Kagome and relieved that her precious smile was not for Koga but for him. He crawled toward her, shaking in pain, and laid himself down next to her gingerly. In the ensuing silence, Kaede stood and drew the curtain over the two so as to give them a shade of privacy. She exited the space.

Inuyasha's eyes traveled over Kagome's body with concern. Kagome was on her back, calmly dreaming. Inuyasha remained on his side, but withdrew the towel from her eyes as she slept. Her face was scored with marks from the spines on Naraku's limbs. Inuyasha cringed to imagine her pain, and involuntarily took her hand in his own. He heard voices from the other side of the curtain, and creaking floorboards signaled their departure from the hut. He exhaled.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you," he said. He paused, closed his eyes and shifted closer to her. "I'm sorry that it wasn't me who brought you back."

With that final exhalation, Inuyasha surrendered to sleep.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Light peeked through the minute gaps in the ceiling and trickled over the two inhabitants of the hut below. Kaede, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kilala had abandoned the hut for a neighboring shelter in which they could prepare more medication and leave the injured undisturbed.

_"Kagome…" Inuyasha growled deeply into her ear. His voice could almost be mistaken for a soft purr, every syllable laced with undulations of desire. Kagome laid below him, her soft hair spilling out from underneath her angelic face like a twisted halo. Eyes half-lidded, she smiled back at him deviously. While Inuyasha's head still lingered next to hers, Kagome allowed her lips to gently caress the flesh of his neck and collarbone, her tongue occasionally swiping past her teeth to allow goosebumps to rise over Inuyasha's body. He mounted her warm body, purposefully hovering so that his skin just brushed the top of hers. He wetted his lips above her teasingly and smirked. Kagome, just as proficient in the art of seduction, lifted her leg up between Inuyasha's, and gently began to rub against the throbbing. Inuyasha's hips lurched uncontrollably to her touch, and he moaned in delight. Kagome's foot curled up around him and drew him closer to her body._

Inuyasha's eyes sprung open. He was covered in sweat, body reeling from his dream. Kagome was now on her side, as well, and had positioned herself so that her leg had snaked in between his own in the night. He could not tell what she was dreaming, but it had her slowly pushing and pulling her leg against his heat. Inuyasha tried to ignore his racing heart and pull away, but he could not help but notice that the prospect of removing himself was very difficult. Her skin was flushed and dewy from the heat of the small space, and her lips were parted enticingly. She moaned, and Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder if they had perhaps been sharing the same dream…

Read and- Oh, you know the drill.


	9. Delicate

I'm sorry this has been so delayed. My internet was stolen by a band of gypsies, but I hunted them down with witch powder, and now I can update! It's a nice long one. ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha products (such as Inuyasha hair gel), but not the man himself. And I don't really own the hair gel, that was a lie.

Just as Inuyasha thought that he could not endure this temptation any longer, Kagome withdrew her leg and turned over on her back. Inuyasha's body immediately relaxed, and he splayed himself out on the floor next to Kagome, his breath still churning in and out. Inuyasha sighed and covered his eyes with his right hand, trying to block out the imperious sunlight.

_How do I tell her that Koga really saved her? Why would she want to be with me if I can't protect her? I can't lie to her…_

Kagome inhaled sharply and clenched her fists, dueling the urge to remain asleep. Inuyasha propped himself up on his hands to peer over her ashen face. Kagome's eyes fluttered open, and she, too, sat upright. Her breath was ragged, eyes wide, and sweat dripped from beneath her blanket of hair.

"Whoa, hey! It's all right! Do you know where you are?" Inuyasha said. Kagome looked toward him quietly for a few seconds, completely still. Fear radiated off of her in heat and in the smell of salt. Then she overflowed, and the pain brimmed in her ruined eyes and splashed over her face. She leaned forward and curled herself against Inuyasha's chest, hands scrambling to ensnare themselves within the folds of his bandages as if letting go meant death.

"Inuyasha… I was so scared. I've never been that frightened in my life…"

Inuyasha tangled his hand in Kagome's hair and pressed her back closer to his chest. He bit down hard on his lip and felt her heart thrash wildly against her chest and reverberate against his. He could not fathom her fear as she dangled helplessly in the arms of the enemy. With closed eyes he whispered softly, "It's my fault, Kagome. I'm sorry that I wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry that you were alone."

"But you brought me back," she heaved through intense tears. "That's all that matters. You brought me back."

Inuyasha dropped his head.

"Kagome, I-"

"All the while I was with Naraku… I kept seeing your face, Inuyasha. I saw your face, and I knew you would come. I knew you would take me back."

Before Inuyasha could reply, Kaede slipped in through the sheet covering the entrance to the hut. Kagome quickly brushed away the tiny rivulets of tears that stained her face with bloody knuckles and bowed her head. Inuyasha separated himself from Kagome and stood erect, cheeks tinged with the softest shade of red. Kaede smiled.

"Good, ye are both awake. I can change your bandages," she whispered kindly. Kaede glimpsed Kagome and furrowed her brow.

"Dear girl, ye have opened your wounds!"

Inuyasha had not even noticed. Kagome was spotted with blood, which now began to pool beside her.

"Inuyasha, can ye walk?" Kaede asked.

"Of course I can walk," he replied roughly.

"Then, help me bring Kagome back to the other hut. She has a very long story to tell, and she will not begin on an empty stomach."

"Where's that idiot wolf?" Inuyasha asked, stooping to pluck Kagome from the ground.

"Koga has left to find his comrades, but he promised that he would return tomorrow so that I can tend to his shoulder," Kaede replied solemnly.

"Good idea to get out of here," Inuyasha said roughly, scooping Kagome into his arms like an infant. "He must have known that if he stayed around I would have painted these walls red with his blood."

"Koga was here?" Kagome asked sleepily. "Why?"

"Do ye not remember, child?" Kaede replied, holding the door open for Inuyasha as he passed. Kagome shook her head.

"Why, he was the one that saved both ye and Inuyasha from the flames of the cave. Do ye not remember a thing?"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha perplexedly. Inuyasha sighed and entered the second hut.

"I'll tell you everything… soon. But right now, it's time for your side of the story."

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"I assume he came through the well," Kagome said meekly, quietly sipping the herbal tea Kaede had given her. Her back faced the others as Kaede discreetly changed her bandages.

"But how? That's impossible! Only you and Inuyasha are able to go down the well!" Shippo stated firmly. He had recovered almost entirely from his cold, but he still spoke as if through his nose. Miroku shook his head.

"Remember, Shippo, that anyone who possesses jewel shards may traverse the well. If you will recall the story of Mistress Centipede," Miroku offered. He sat cross legged against a wall beside Sango who was softly stroking Kilala's tails. His leg was bandaged, but he no longer required his staff to walk. "This, of course, is unfortunate for us, seeing as Naraku has nearly the entire Shikkon Jewel."

"But, then, why hasn't he gone through the well before?" Sango asked. Miroku bowed his head.

"As to that, I assume only Naraku knows the answer. I can only allege that he has switched targets," Miroku stated.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha spat.

"I'm saying that his primary concern over these years has been your demise, Inuyasha. Perhaps, for some reason, Kagome has become his greater threat."

The hut fell silent for a brief moment as Miroku's words seeped through the skin of the shaken companions. Inuyasha, after a pregnant pause of concern, shook his head skeptically.

"Feh! I'm sure that's not the reason."

"Well, whatever the reason, please go on, Kagome," Miroku said. Kagome dipped her finger in her tea and ran it along the edge of the glass before her. An eerie sound leaked out of the edge of the cup as her finger skated across the surface, which complimented the conversation well.

"Naraku did not come as himself," she said.

"What do you mean, Kagome? If not himself, then who?" Shippo asked.

"He came in disguise," Kagome explained. "He came looking like you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stood with wide eyes, completely taken aback.

"He came looking like me? How?"

"He has found a way to morph himself into the shapes of others. I don't know how," Kagome stated lifelessly. Sango frowned.

"Kagome, can you do this? Do you need to stop talking?"

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"She has lost a lot of blood," Kaede said. She finished wrapping Kagome's wounds and draped her shoulders in a thin blanket. Kagome slowly turned to face the others. Her face shone with salve that was methodically rubbed over the cuts on her cheeks, lips and jaw. "She is very anemic. But if ye can keep speaking, child-"

"I can."

"Why would he disguise himself as me?" Inuyasha asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Sango mused aloud. "He came looking like you so that he could get closer to Kagome. She trusts you."

"What I don't understand is how you didn't know it wasn't me," Inuyasha interrupted. He looked intently at Kagome, who, in turn, looked intently at her tea.

"I did know that it wasn't you. Just not right away. He was identical to you," Kagome said.

"What gave him away?" Sango asked.

"His breath, at first," Kagome started. "It was cold and without rhythm. Harsh. And then he-"

Kagome stopped.

"Tell us what you can, Kagome," Miroku said, saving her.

"He was not in Inuyasha's human form, and it was the new moon. When I remembered, I realized immediately that something was wrong."

"Interesting. Well, I suppose this proves that he is still unaware of the time in which you transform, Inuyasha. This is good," Miroku said. He stood and stretched his arms over his head. Simultaneously, darkness flooded the hut as if Miroku had drawn shade over the sky. Sango looked upward and blinked.

"We've been here for hours. We should all get some rest, especially you two," Sango said quietly. Inuyasha sat down again and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not tired yet. It feels like I just woke up," he replied, rubbing a few of his wounds tenderly.

"He's ill."

Miroku and Sango turned from the doorway to face Kagome. Not entirely certain of whom she was speaking, Sango stepped forward to question her.

"Who's ill? Inuyasha?" she asked.

"No. Naraku is ill," Kagome whispered.

Miroku looked toward Sango anxiously and then walked over to Kagome and crouched down so that he was eye-level with her.

"Kagome, are you sure? Naraku is extremely powerful, and I highly doubt that a demon of his nature would even be capable of falling ill. But if it was true-"

"I'm just telling you what I saw," Kagome said. Inuyasha joined in.

"No, it makes sense. By all rights, I should not have been able to save Kagome if she was already within Naraku's grasp. When she dropped from his tentacles, there should have been five more there to snatch her away. He was weaker, somehow."

"But, how? How is it possible? The thought is ridiculous. Naraku with a cold, it doesn't make sense," Shippo said.

"He is only half-demon, however. Could it be possible that his human heart allows him to become ill?" Kaede offered. Sango shook her head.

"I highly doubt that any illness Naraku is suffering would be the same one of us would suffer."

"At any rate, we should retire. If what Kagome says is true, then we must attack Naraku while we are at an advantage. Kaede, how long do you suppose it will take Inuyasha and Kagome to heal?" Miroku asked. Kaede shook her head.

"For Inuyasha, perhaps three days," she said.

"Three days? I'm up and walking now! I could leave tomorrow! You forget that I'm a half-demon!" Inuyasha spat. Kaede frowned.

"And ye forget that Kagome is not! She will take much longer to heal. Her injuries were severe, and if her cuts open on the way, I will not be there to aid the poor child. I insist that ye stay a week."

"A week?" Inuyasha sputtered.

"At least!" Kaede howled. Sango, Miroku and Shippo rolled their eyes and parted for their separate rooms. Kaede shuffled to the other side of the room and knelt in front of a chest. She opened it silently and withdrew two blankets, both soiled and torn.

"These aren't much, but they will keep ye warm. Do try to rest, Kagome," Kaede said, bundling the blanket next to Kagome. Kagome smiled weakly.

"Kaede, thank you for everything."

Kaede nodded and walked toward the door. She bid Inuyasha a terse goodnight and exited. Inuyasha and Kagome sat silently, almost awkwardly, in her wake. Outside the air was dancing frantically in summer heat, propelling strange gusts of hot wind. Kagome looked up toward the blackness that peeked through the fissures in the wood ceiling. Inuyasha stared at her curiously. She was covered from the waist up in bandages that stretched across her flesh like second skin. They tugged across her curves and eased at her waist. She was broken, he saw that, but she was also breathtaking. He did not know that it was possible to be both until he saw Kagome bathed in darkness before him. She offered his name to the stars.

"Inuyasha," she whispered.

"Yeah…"

"I want his scent off me. I need to bathe," she said simply. Inuyasha gazed at her tenderly.

"Go ahead."

"Inuyasha," she said more fixedly.

"What?"

"I don't want to be alone. I'm too frightened," she breathed. Inuyasha allowed a pause to settle while he mulled over the implications.

"Well, do you want me to get Sango?" he offered.

"No, Inuyasha," she said. She looked away from the penetrating blackness and down at her feet. Slowly, she tried to rise from her resting place, but injuries shackled her to the floor, and she dropped to her knees. Inuyasha leapt forward to support her. He wrapped his hands around her upper arms gently, afraid to open any wounds. She looked up into his eyes from underneath her cloud of hair and murmured, "I need you with me."

Inuyasha nodded without hesitation. He would not deny her protection again. Inuyasha turned his back to her and wrapped her arms around his neck carefully like weaving ribbon into bow. Without effort, he broke her shackles and lifted her off the cold ground. Kagome wrapped her legs around his torso tightly, and Inuyasha looped his arms underneath her thighs.

As Inuyasha stepped out of the hut, the night swallowed them in their entirety, and they walked into the belly of the forest. Despite the heavy darkness that laced through the trees, the forest floor was very much alive with the hum, buzz and whisper of demons and animals. Inuyasha sought the smell of fresh water.

Although they would never admit it to each other, Kagome and Inuyasha savored each others' contact. Kagome pressed herself as tightly to Inuyasha as possible, too exhausted and needy for embarrassment. Inuyasha absentmindedly pulled her legs so that she was plastered against his skin. He, too, was wrapped in nothing more than bandages from the waist up. Their flesh had never been in such close quarters. All sensation was limited to that which the other provided. Kagome's hands roamed Inuyasha's skin like weary travelers seeking comfort. They abandoned his shoulders to wind up underneath his arms and across his chest. Her skin tickled the vulnerable flesh underneath his arms, and Inuyasha reluctantly subdued to an onslaught of goose bumps. Here, she could hold him more closely, desperately, and allow her fingers to weave through the white cloth that hugged him. His hair whipped gently across Kagome's face, allowing her to breathe in more deeply his scent of pine and fresh water. Her lips rested against his bare shoulder like a delicate butterfly, and Inuyasha feared that if he moved too roughly the butterfly would scatter for more stable ground. He treaded lightly.

Their affection was simple and pure but resounding nonetheless. They were too wrapped up in their own emotions to tap into those of the other, oblivious to the fact that they were one and the same. Soon enough… too soon, Inuyasha thought, for the ride there was so pleasurable… Inuyasha found a body of water in which Kagome could bathe.

Review, darlings.


	10. Birth

A/N: I am like an updating machine. On top of that, I have churned out two oneshots since I have last updated. Check those out if you get a chance, they're pretty good. As for this chapter,a few mysteries shall be unveiled. HUZZAH, I hear you cry! 

Huzzah, indeed. 

Here we go again with the thinking! Italicized text signifies the thoughts of the characters.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered into Inuyasha's ear.

The lake was relatively small and bordered with fine sand that winked gray and silver in the dark illumination. Inuyasha stood where the water and sand embraced, sinking his toes into the cold putty. Simplicity blew softly here; it brushed through Inuyasha's hair, and it played on Kagome's lips, and Inuyasha never wanted to leave.

"Hm?" Inuyasha answered belatedly.

"Please let me down."

Inuyasha knelt quickly, slightly embarrassed for drifting off, and dipped one knee into the sand. Kagome dismounted his back. The breeze across his spine startled him, as Kagome had been shelter to it before. He looked to his left where Kagome stood, cautiously toeing the cold water with her slender foot. It, too, was bandaged.

"The water is freezing," she shivered. Inuyasha leapt on top of a thick boulder beside the lake. He landed deftly and took a seat so that only his back was exposed to Kagome.

"Well, your highness, I'm sorry if I can't spend the whole night sniffing out a heated lake for you. They're kind of hard to find, in case you haven't noticed," he replied nastily.

"I wasn't asking you to find one, I was just observing!" Kagome retorted fiercely. She stripped herself of the red pants Kaede supplied her and laid them neatly on the beach. Her arms twisted behind her and groped blindly for the small knot Kaede made to keep the bandages together. She pulled gently on the tail, and the cloth bindings wafted lazily down and around her ankles. Kagome bent forward and ladled chilly sand into her cupped hands. She waded into the water slowly, trying desperately to allow her muscles time to adjust to the biting water.

"Sounded like complaining to me," Inuyasha murmured. Kagome clenched her fists tightly, forcing sand from between her fingers, and then suddenly relaxed and sighed dejectedly. Inuyasha registered her sigh as more belligerence and turned on her harshly.

"What now?" he whined.

"Inuyasha… did you and Kikyo fight like this?" Kagome whispered.

Kagome's question hooked the air encircling Inuyasha and tugged violently, leaving him void of breath, void of answer. Simplicity was just crushed by the weight of Kikyo's name, and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to scramble from his rock and sprint to solitude. In lieu of his delayed response, Kagome spoke again.

"Why do we feel the need to fight while we're in places like this?" she said, gesturing loosely at the vibrating night.

Absolute silence.

Kagome's eyes sloped downward in defeat, and she began to rub sand across her shoulder. Movement startled her focus back toward the bulbous rock, and she watched Inuyasha slide off the boulder quietly. He detached the Tetsusaiga from the bottom of his kimono and stood bristled, his chin pointed toward the foliage.

"Kagome," he said softly, gripping the boulder beside him. "May I bathe next to you?"

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

_This air… how I despise sharing air with him while he is in this state. It is like being suffocated in a trough of rotten fruit. This illness from which Naraku is suffering is truly bizarre… it does not affect me or Kanna… _

"He is in the cellar again," Kanna whispered with heavy breath. Kagura covered her nose with her fan, eyes narrowed as if reluctant to allow the putrid air to skim their surface.

"Kanna, why has he beckoned us here?"

"To… watch," Kanna said simply. Kagura shot her an irritated glare.

"Kanna, do not speak in riddles, I haven't the patience."

"To watch… the birth of our sister."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Kagome watched Inuyasha's back expand and deflate with quickened breath. He was nervous, possibly angry, but she preferred the former and settled upon it. She knelt down in the water so that only her neck and head broke the surface. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder tentatively, and Kagome nodded. She began to shiver uncontrollably, but could not tack its source to simply the freezing water…

Inuyasha turned around and waded into the lake, eyes diverted and half-closed. He looked miserable or pensive, perhaps both, Kagome thought, as he took position behind her, his back parallel to her own about a yard away. Kagome dared not disturb the water, as if breaking the surface around Inuyasha would shatter some sacred peace. She immediately regretted her question.

"You can keep bathing, I'm not looking," Inuyasha said solemnly. He took a cavernous breath and sunk below the surface of the water so that it engrossed him completely. The face of the lake regurgitated water instantaneously, and it rained brusquely upon Kagome's head and shoulders. Inuyasha surfaced again and shook his head to deter the wintry droplets that clung to his hair and face.

"I said I wasn't looking, why haven't you moved?" Inuyasha said harshly. Kagome pivoted quickly and ripples slapped Inuyasha across the back. He turned to meet her gaze and involuntarily took one step back.

"Inuyasha, I need to know. I need to know for me, not to invade that which is yours. Was it like this with Kikyo?" Kagome pleaded. Her desperation was agonizing, her eyes crying out deafeningly for resolution. Inuyasha did not know how to respond but to touch her, hoping in some way she would learn the answer through osmosis. His hands sought her pale arms, but found an indelible barrier around her shivering body. He grasped water, another thing that he was helpless to hold.

"No," Inuyasha said finally, his arms still half-extended in front of him. An irrational thrashing at the back of his mind warned of her flight, and he was splayed open to net her. "Kikyo and I never fought."

"Oh," Kagome replied, trying to signify surprise at his answer. She was a poor actress. She had speculated for a long time now that Kikyo and Inuyasha held a peace with tightly clasped hands, and for trying to interfere, she was doomed to spill that serenity.

_I only bring him more confrontation… That is what separates Kikyo and me…_

Kagome turned her back again, and began to scrub at her body, seemingly satisfied with the answer. The sand raked her tender flesh with ragged ferocity, but she would not go gently on herself, not now. She wanted everything that stained her to die in this water: Naraku, the pain, Kikyo.

Satisfied may be the wrong word.

But Inuyasha was not finished answering.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Kanna stepped back as Kagura methodically opened the latch to the door in the cellar. Upon its first breath, the smell of rottenness and death intensified, and Kagura felt bile nip and gnaw at the back of her throat. Kanna remained unfazed and hopped elegantly through the incision in the floor. Kagura lifted her chin in disgust and followed suit. The cellar was cloaked in inclusive darkness.

"Kagura… lights," Naraku rasped from a far corner of the room. Kagura obeyed dutifully and waved her fan across the perimeter of the room. Small torches erupted in light along the surface of the ceiling and cast gory and horrible shadows across her nauseated face.

"Kagura, is the sight really that much to bear? Have I truly repulsed you so?" Naraku said teasingly.

The room was throbbing. Puddles of red, black, blue and green blood vibrated and danced across the floor and walls.

_My sister… she has required an abundance of demons for her birth… just how formidable is she?_

Naraku sat against a crumbling stone wall, bits of flesh and blood painted his face and hands like a twisted warrior. He sat with a dagger in his hands, his hand wrapped loosely around the handle, and he examined his reflection in the blade.

"Your sister is making me very sick," Naraku said delicately, running his index finger along the blade. The metal sung and evoked a thin lode of blood from the split finger. Naraku's lips curled in an ironic smile.

"You see, Kagura, your sister has developed a keen affection while trapped beneath my flesh. It is an affection I did not expect, and thus has put me in quite the predicament."

"An affection?" Kagura repeated, unsure of its importance. Naraku stood, the dagger readied in his bloody palm. Light cast half of his face in shadow. Kagura's flesh curled and rolled at the expression on his face.

"She has been growing within me for quite a long time now. Interestingly, I find my most formidable incarnations are females… I wonder why that is?" Naraku mused mostly to himself. He slowly undid the top of his kimono and let it pool around his hips. Hidden beneath the navy folds was a throbbing bulge below his flesh near his heart. Kagura immediately cried out in horror as she watched the protuberance expand and detract with sickly breath. Naraku gazed upon his child hungrily, for he loved none of them, and circled the swelling with the tip of his dagger. He looked up to Kagura and laughed devilishly.

"Come now, Kagura. You've seen me at much worse. I can't be that truly sickening," he hummed. His lips thinned to take on a more serious tone.

"Now, because of this lust your dear sister has developed, she has begun to revolt against my body. She wants to be freed to carry out her affections," Naraku said calmly.

"And this is the source of your illness?" Kagura asked meekly, suddenly overwhelmed by the terror of this scene. Naraku smiled.

"Your sister harbors a great deal of poison, this is how she will serve me," he explained slowly and deliberately. His free hand groped at the struggling mass, and his eyes bulged. A sudden wave of suffering caused by his demonic child, Kagura thought. Naraku cried out in anguish, and when it subsided, he laughed breathily.

"As of late… she has been causing me a great deal of pain," he strained. He steadied the dagger with both hands now, right above his heart. "Your sister is very unique, indeed. She injects poison into her victim, but unlike most demons, it does not spread with rapidity. Instead, it lies dormant, stored in the heart, until the heart of the victim breaks. Then, the poison spreads through the system slowly. It is a very uncomfortable death," Naraku said smiling. Kagura frowned.

"How, then, is she making you ill?" she asked skeptically.

"Ah, you see, your sister is still infantile. Right now, her poison will seep out from her flesh in very small traces at her every incredulous whim, without the power to lie dormant. Such small traces of poison should not affect a demon such as myself. However, unfortunately for me, she is attached directly to my heart."

"Kagura and I are not the same," Kanna said quietly. Kagura jumped at her voice, forgetting that she was there and chilled at her words.

"Correct, Kanna. Your sister is very different. When she is born, she will have extracted a piece of my heart with her. For, she who works hand-in-hand with the intensity of heartbreak must have a heart herself. I will not hold her heart in my palm."

Naraku gazed at Kagura and Kanna with one eye bathed in cryptic light. Malice painted his lips red, and with stifled breath he declared, "It is time, Danchou."

He plunged the dagger into his heart and evil incarnate spilled out of his chest, webbed with blood, flesh and mucus. Kagura extracted a feather from her hair and fled the cellar in a panic, realizing that she was, for the first time her in damned life, terrorized.

Please review, my precious, darling readers.


	11. A Time For Talking

Oh, my sweet, wee readers... this chapter is long overdue. It took a lot of tweaking, as my original version made Inuyasha waaay too OOC. I think this version fits him well, and I hope you agree. So, here tis... written with a broken middle finger and a temperamental internet connection. Enjoy, my loves.

Kagome knelt down and began to rub her legs with the craggy sand. Divine mitigance, the pain of the sharp rock against her wounded flesh took away the pain of Inuyasha's affections and the events of the past few days. She smiled and began to bleed. If ever a grimace and relief gave birth to expression, in this moment, her face would be the bastard child. Wisps of cloudy blood flipped and dove from the slits into the water and tumbled away to find refuge on the shore. Inuyasha, who had assumed his original position, spun around again at the smell of salt and iron. He watched horrified… saddened, maybe… as Kagome tore her skin apart with earth. He lunged forward and grabbed her hand.

"Stop this! Why are you doing this to yourself? Dammit, you're bleeding everywhere!" he gasped, watching the veil of blood encircle her sinisterly. "How do expect to heal?"

"I don't," Kagome whispered grimly, tearing her wrist away. Her chin bunched together, pinched by her lips, and her eyes quivered. Inuyasha understood that his answer to her question had built a barrier between them. Just as quickly as he had responded negatively, Kagome had emotionally distanced herself with as much rapidity and fortitude as humanly possible.

So, in alignment with his tendency to take on the improbable, Inuyasha rushed to cross the eternity of space between them.

Desperately, he scooped her into his arms and found the small of her back. He pressed the bridge of his nose against the top of her head so that the curves of their faces slid together. He snarled his fingers between the inky tresses.

"I don't know what to do for you. I've saved you before… but I don't know how to save you from yourself," he murmured against her forehead. Kagome surrendered the sand from her palms and pressed her hands into the warm flesh of Inuyasha's back. That touch, that desperation, tore down a door in Inuyasha's mind, and he suddenly became anxious to tell her everything, to simply let the floodgates open and let her share space within his mind.

"You want to know the truth? I'll tell you everything. Please, don't hurt yourself anymore," Inuyasha moaned against her dewy skin. Kagome nodded, and tears shook off her cheeks and onto Inuyasha's lips. She broke away from him momentarily and raised a hand to the side of his face. Her fingers cupped his jawline, and, with her thumb, she traced his bottom lip, wiping away her own tears. Inuyasha closed his eyes and agonized over kissing her thumb or not, but before a conclusion was made, her thumb was gone and she was wading back to the shore. Inuyasha raced to meet her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay here. I'll get your clothes."

Kagome became obediently stiff and watched Inuyasha pull himself out of the water and onto shore. He quickly collected her pants and bandages and then paused, frowning.

"That's all I came with," Kagome said, answering a nonexistent question. Inuyasha ignored her and dropped the articles again. He pivoted and got down on his hands and knees.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome shivered. Inuyasha struck the sand with his claws and began to dig ferociously.

"Those clothes aren't going to keep you warm," he replied, throwing sand and dirt over his shoulder and across his back. Kagome waded more closely to the shore.

"Why are you digging a hole?" she asked, stiffly dodging the airborne soil.

"You'll stay warm if you sit down here. The wind won't touch you," he replied. Seemingly satisfied with his hole, Inuyasha stood back and rinsed his hands in the water. He brushed them off on his pants and picked up her clothing.

"Here, you can come get them. I won't look," he said quietly. Kagome willed her frozen legs to move through the water that ripped at her wounds and climbed onto the shore. Inuyasha stood with his back to her and held her clothes out at his side. She gently took them from his hands and thanked him. She stepped into her pants and wrapped the soiled bandages around her torso as best she could.

"Inuyasha, can you tie this knot?" she whispered. Inuyasha glanced at her over his shoulder and nodded. His hands grasped the tails of the bandages at her spine and fumbled nervously to make a knot. She piled her hair at the crown of her head with her fist so that it did not interfere with his hands and exposed her neck. Inuyasha barely paid attention to what he was doing with the bandages, but rather gaped openly at the young woman's silhouette. Inuyasha was conditioned to seeing more flesh on Kagome than any other woman in his time. Her tantalizingly short skirt left little to the imagination in the realm of calves and thighs. But, it was the little pieces of Kagome… her hip bone poking out from beneath her shirt when she stretched her arms over her head, her exposed collarbone when she tugged at the opening of her shirt in uncomfortable heat or the gentle curve of her ears when she tucked her unruly locks behind them… these pieces of her were most precious because their exhibition was so rare. Here, swathed in damp, cool breezes, Inuyasha discovered another favorite to add to his list: her neck.

Kagome never wore her hair back like Sango occasionally did. For the first time, Inuyasha was able to savor the nape of his partner's neck. His eyes grazed the lines it made against the dark night, the long spill that crashed into the elegant arch of her shoulders. He felt like cupping those soft corners and pressing his lips against her neck. His warm breath would pound against her jaw hungrily, and she would begin to shake. Should she collapse completely, he would support her weight by leaning her against his chest and allowing his heart to drum against her back so that she could experience, physically, the impact of her presence on his senses. He would whisper something profound against her flesh, something that all the lovelorn scholars and tragic poets could never precisely convey, and she would let his name slip through her shivering teeth and tickle her lips on its ascent toward heaven.

But such things would not take place tonight, and he knew this. There is a time for exploration and a time for talking. This night was a time for talking.

The knot completed, Inuyasha helped Kagome down into her shallow hole and then collapsed on the more elevated ground beside her. He brought his knees to his chest and began to wring the water from his pants.

"It really is warmer down here," Kagome mused, sinking her fingers into the sand. Inuyasha exhaled deeply and looked out across the lake.

"What do you want to know?" he asked quietly. Kagome looked up at him and then at her knees, contemplatively.

"What was it about Kikyo that kept you from fighting?"

Inuyasha crossed his legs beneath him and adopted a stoic posture.

"Kikyo and I didn't fight because… well, I guess because we never really spoke," Inuyasha said. Kagome shifted her gaze from her battered legs to Inuyasha's face. She frowned.

"You didn't speak to each other? But, you were so close. Your bond was so…"

Kagome trailed off and leaned back against the wall of her small hole.

"I've told you before that I never really trusted anyone before I met you. That includes Kikyo," Inuyasha said. Kagome restrained a feeble smile, unsure of whether it was appropriate, and waited for Inuyasha to continue.

"She told me that once I became human, I would feel emotionsmore easily. She told me that I shouldn't worry if my feelings for her were conflicted… because they wouldn't be once I became human."

"Your feelings were… conflicted?" Kagome questioned. Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, I traveled with her and everything, but I didn't trust her. I never laughed or smiled around her. I just waited. We were constantly waiting for a time when things would be better. When I became human."

"And then…"

"And then Naraku stepped into the picture. You know the rest of the story, I guess," Inuyasha finished. Kagome looked down into her lap at her folded hands and shivered. The water was still clinging to her skin, and never rubbed off but smeared more destructively. Inuyasha noticed her manic quivering and stood up.

"I have to get you back to the hut. You're going to get sick out here. Come on," he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the hole. He stooped next to her and swung his left arm beneath her knees, picking her off the ground with great deft. This position was Kagome's favorite, asit most resembled his rare embrace. She could feel his heart beat against her thigh, and she rested her head against his shoulder. Inuyasha glanced down at her and blushed for coddling her against his bare flesh.

"Inuyasha… I'm sorry," she said as Inuyasha carefully wove through the wiry trees and vines in the surrounding forest.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I'm sorry that it ended like this. That you didn't get what you were waiting for," Kagome said sleepily, placing a hand on his chest to convey her sincerity. Inuyasha turned a deeper shade of red. Heavy exhaustion pinned Kagome's eyelids after having been thrust from a chilly hole into Inuyasha's warm arms.

"It's not your fault. And besides, if none of that ever happened we wouldn't be here right now, right?" Inuyasha replied. Kagome smiled and nuzzled her head deeper into Inuyasha's flesh. Soon, her breathing became rhythmic and slow. Inuyasha looked down.

"Kagome?" he whispered. She did not stir. Inuyasha exited the woods and entered their hut quietly. Only starlight peeked in through the slits in the walls, as the moon had already dipped beneath the fan of treetops. Inuyasha placed Kagome gently on the blanket Kaede had supplied her and used his own to cover her. He knelt beside her and tucked the covers underneath her arms and legs and stretched it up over her shoulders. Inuyasha tucked a piece of wet hair behind her ear and bent closer.

"I did get what I was waiting for."

With that, the dark, nighttime clouds shifted lazily before the stars, and the hut was dark again.

Review, darlinks.


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